Post and board style fence or “fencing”, also referred to as “post and rail fence” or more simply, “board fence, is constructed of widely spaced square or round posts which support several spaced horizontal boards. This style of fence has been around since the early 1700s and is popular for a variety of reasons not the least of which are its refined appearance, efficient use of lumber and ease in conforming to slopes and rolling ground.
Post and board fencing is commonly used in both suburban and agricultural settings. In suburban settings, board fence is desired for its rural look, neat appearance, charm and structural integrity, and is commonly accepted, if not mandated, by many home owner associations (“HOA's”) perhaps for these reasons. Traditional agricultural versions of post and board fences typically include three to five boards spaced evenly apart or as needed to contain livestock. When a more complete barrier is needed such as for containing pets or preventing entry of unwanted animals, the back side of the fence may be covered with galvanized wire fencing, which is relatively unnoticeable behind the bold lines of the fence boards.
Despite their popularity and ease of installation relative to some other fence types, the erection of post and board fencing remains a laborious and time intensive task. This time and effort is dramatically increased when only one person is performing the installation. Of difficulty in such instances is the task of hanging the fence boards which are often sixteen feet long and span three posts. Because of their length, it is impossible for an individual to hold one end of the board in place while simultaneously fastening the opposite end to a post. A first workaround is to rest one end of the board on the ground in proximity to the post to which it will be mounted and then tacking the opposite end to its post. Because the board is held in a horizontal orientation while tacking the first end, it is not possible to achieve a tight abutting fit with the adjacent board using this method. Another common workaround is to cradle the board near its midpoint with one arm, position and hold one end of the board against the post to which it will be attached, and then tack the board at its midpoint to the center post. This is no simple task when considering that the individual must also hold and position the fastener in its proper position with one hand while driving fastener with the opposite hand, both while cradling the board. Yet another workaround is to temporarily clamp one of the board against the post to which it will be mounted using some sort of clamping device. This method also necessitates leaving the opposite end of the board on the ground during the clamping operation. Once the clamped end of the board is in place, the opposite end is lifted to properly position it for mounting; this action unfortunately often causes the clamped end to slip out of place as the board is rotated into position. In a similar method, instead of using a clamp, one end of the board is tied to either the post or an adjacent board using string or wire. Of course, the string or wire must be repeatedly tied and untied for each board which can be tedious and time consuming. Each of the above methods and their associated shortcomings may be encountered during a new fence installation or during the replacement of a single board which has been damaged as is all too often the case with board fence used for horse or cattle containment.
Given that virtually all board fence installations involve the mounting of numerous boards, in some cases in the hundreds or even thousands, and given further the significant cost in time and labor associated with such installations, and given still further the difficulty associated with even a single fence board replacement when only one person is performing the task, it is clear that there exists a need in the art for a tool that can facilitate the rapid hanging of fence boards with less effort than has heretofore been possible.